Text File

Apur-ee.265 net.math utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!pur-ee!davy Mon Mar 15 11:09:25 1982 You Too Can Be A Math Genius

I always liked the following proof:

_ [1] x = .999 _ [2] 10x = 9.99 [multiply by 10]

[3] 9x = 9.0 [subtract [1] from [2]]

[4] x = 1.0 [divide by 9]

_ _ But, in [1], we have x = .999, therefore, .999 is exactly equal to 1.

Please don't start a discussion on what is "wrong" with this, I know what is wrong with it. However, at a first glance, it is rather surprising.

--Dave Curry pur-ee!davy

----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen <jgoerzen@complete.org> of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/

This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided:

1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles.

2. The following notice remains appended to each copy:

The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.